Toronto Railway Historical Association

Special Events in Toronto on Canada Day, July 1st, 2007

Here are a couple of events happening in Toronto on Canada Day, July 1st, 2007

At 10:30 a.m., there is a wreath laying ceremony at the Monument of the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada across Blue Jays Way from Skydome. Derek Boles, in his capacity as a Heritage Toronto board member, will be laying a wreath and saying a few words about railway heritage. There will also be representatives from the Canadian Pacific Railway, the City of Toronto and others.

The Toronto Railway Historical Association (TRHA) will also be hosting an open house in the Don Station at Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum and Arts Centre from 12 NOON to 5 PM. As many of you are aware, the station (pictured above) is not often open to the public. The Canadian Pacific Railway opened Don in 1896. The station was originally located on the west bank of the Don River south of Queen Street. In 1906 the Canadian Northern Railway began using Don, as did their successor Canadian National after World War I. After World War II, Don declined in importance as a passenger station although it continued to issue train orders for both CP and CN trains until the station was closed in 1967. In 1969 the Don Station was moved to the Todmorden Museum.

The TRHA has prepared a display of sixty photographs depicting the history of railways in the Don Valley as well as some other facilities so as to give the little station some context.

Information on Todmorden and directions on how to get there can be found at: http://www.toronto.ca/todmorden/about.htm

by Derek Boles, Toronto Railway Heritage Moderator

Success after a long day's work!

After a long hard day's work by Western Mechanical the turntable bridge has successfully been pulled out of the roundhouse and safely attached to this impressive transportation platform. It is 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27th and the bridge is ready for a "crack of dawn" departure on Thursday morning for its journey to Western Mechanical's shops in Barrie, Ontario. More photos of the actual "extraction" will be posted soon. Watch for an announcement here!

Click on each of the pictures for a closer view!

Press Release ... Turntable Restoration Begins

The historic turntable bridge at the John Street Roundhouse is to be removed for complete restoration to operational status this Wednesday and Thursday, 27-28 June. This is the first major step in the development of Toronto’s new Railway Heritage Centre adjacent to the CN Tower. The "lift" is a complex maneuver as the turntable bridge alone is 36.6m long (120ft) and weighs 76 tons.

The Toronto Railway Historical Association, (TRHA), the community body working directly with the City of Toronto and various other entities to help realize a permanent railway heritage centre at the site of the former CPR John St. Round house is pleased to announce that on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, Western Mechanical Inc. will be onsite to remove the historic roundhouse turntable bridge from its current storage location inside the roundhouse. The bridge will be crane lifted out and then placed on a large truck for removal to their Barrie Ontario shops for a complete restoration. In September, the restored bridge will be returned to the property and re-installed complete with is its original compressed air motor system. While it is being refurbished, the radial tracks leading to each of the stalls at the round house will be re-installed along with lead tracks that will allow the museum to display and "lift" rail equipment in and out of the facility.

The removal of the turntable bridge for restoration was triggered by the signing of a long term private sector restoration and lease agreement with the City for the Roundhouse. Beyond the turntable bridge rehabilitation and radial track re-installation the deal triggers the funding release of millions of dollars for the creation of the museum and the critical relocation of former CNR 4-8-4 Northern class 6213 steam locomotive from her resting place at the CNE to her new home at Roundhouse Park for eventual restoration as part of the museum's interpretive mission.

When restored, the turntable will be the largest and oldest working turntable bridge of its kind in Canada.

For more information on the move or the Railway Heritage Centre please contact us at the addresses list below.

Contact Information

Orin Krivel, President, TRHA
(416) 917-1903

Doug North, Director, TRHA
(416) 543-4627

Background

The turntable bridge structure was built in 1929 by the Canadian Bridge Company of Walkerville Ontario. At 120 feet long (36.6m) it is one of the largest in the country and capable of rotating a locomotive weighing up to 771,000 lb or 350 tonnes. The bridge alone without rails, wheels and drive motors weighs 76 tons and is of "built up" construction using steel plates rolled steel angles and rivets. Welding is not used anywhere on the structure.

Referred to as a "twin-span" turntable, it has three points of support, the centre bearing and wheels under each of the two ends. There are two independent drive mechanisms, both are small twin-cylinder reciprocating steam engines arranged to run on compressed air and driving one carrying wheel through gearing. Each "air motor" is capable of moving the loaded turntable alone giving 100% redundant drive capability.

The cleanup continues at the roundhouse!

From left to right, our thanks go to Paul, Jason, Mark, Michael, Ed and Bob for coming out last weekend to help clean up the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo caboose.

If you are interested in helping out in future, contact us through our website at http://www.trha.ca/contact.html. Calls for help are posted our discussion group which you can join thorough a link there.

Donations to the Toronto Railway Heritage Museum

The TRHA would like to announce two significant donations to the Roundhouse and the City of Toronto. The Upper Canada Railway Society has gifted the Canadian Pacific Railway heavyweight passenger car "Cape Race" to the museum. This car will be restored to it's former glory as a prime example of the standards of deluxe passenger service that operated out of John Street and the Union Station.

The Canadian Railroad Historical Association, Toronto and York Division has donated the Toronto Hamilton and Buffalo Caboose #701907, the Reinhart Vinegars Ltd vinegar car #RVLX 101, and the Canadian Pacific Railway Fowler Patent Boxcar #188625. These artifacts will be stabilized, repaired as needed, and interpreted.

Our thanks go to both organizations for their generosity and support for the Toronto Rail Heritage Museum.

by Orin Krivel
President, TRHA.

Time to weigh the turntable!

As part of our planning for the removal of the turntable from the roundhouse for restoration, a technician from Western Mechanical of Barrie, Ontario lifted one side of the turntable bridge in order to weigh it. A pressure gauge in the line from the hydraulic jack pump recorded the pressure required to lift one side of the bridge off its supports. Oil pressure multiplied by the jack piston area equals the load weight. The total bridge weight was found to be 151,000 lb or nearly 76 tons.

by Michael Guy, TRHA